The present invention relates to an Internet camera which is connected to the Internet and transmits image data files to a predetermined site of a file server on the Internet.
Conventionally, a digital camera has been widely used. The digital camera captures an image, converts the image to digital data, and store the digital data in a form of data files in a storage device such as a hard disk.
Recently, as an application of the digital camera, an Internet camera has been used. An example of the Internet camera is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/204,289, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The conventional Internet camera typically includes a network interface such as a modem for sending the data files via the Internet, and a data transfer client such as an FTP (File Transfer Protocol according to RFC 959) client for controlling the network interface in order to transfer the data files stored in the storage device to a predetermined site of a file server such as an FTP server on the Internet.
In such an Internet camera, images are captured and the image data files are transmitted automatically, in accordance with a predetermined schedule.
Conventionally, however, the schedule includes only one script which defines a start time, an end time and an interval, and the camera operates in a similar manner everyday. The image capturing and/or transferring operations are repeatedly executed at the defined intervals during a period from the start time to the end time.
Since the schedule include only one script, the conventional Internet camera cannot capture the images according to a relatively complicated schedule such as a schedule extending in two days, e.g., a schedule for capturing images from 23:00 of a day to 1:00 of the next day.